Apparatus for feeding finely-divided material



June l2, 1928. 1,673,313

J. w. CORNELIUS APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FINELY DIVIDED MATERIAL Filed Dec. l2, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l WW @mw June 12, 1928.r 1,673,313

J. w. CORNELIUS APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FINELY-DIVIDED MATERIAL Filed Dec. 12, 1924 2 sheetssneet 2 uu-fm :i i l l A .l llllll!!! liv Patented June 12, 1928.

. UNITED STATES 1,673,313 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W, CORNELIUS, OF SALIN A, KANSAS, ASSIGNOB TO THE SHELLABARGR MILLS c ELEVATOR COMPANY, F SALINA, KANSAS, A CORPORATION OF KANSAS.

APPARATUS E QR FEEDING FINELY-DIVIDED MATERIAL.

Application filed December 12, 1924. Serial No. 755,476.

This invention relates generally to a device for feeding finely divided solid material.

A general object of the invention is to provide a device of the general type referred to by'which a stream of material is delivered at au accurately measured, uniform rate in response to a constantly maintained, unvarying pressure.

The invention includes a. hollow casing into which extends a rotatable shaft provided with material-moving blades or flights normally disposed in a. helical relation to the axis of rotation of the shaft. The helically disposed blades are mounted at their leading or forward ends only on radially extending post-s seated in the shaft. The trailing or rearward ends of the blades are free and, being formed of spring sheet metal, will yield under a maXimuin resistance and take positions lying in planes perpendicular to the shaft whereupon noV further movement of the material longitudinally of the shaft will occur until the pressure has decreased and the blades have sprung bach again to helical operating positions.

At the end of the casing toward which the material is fed by the blades a closure plate is provided with a discharge slit extending in a radial direction and provided with a flanking knife edge extending inwardly to engage the forward end of the mass of material in the casing in a manner similar to the cutting bit edge of a Icarpenters plane. A device `for rotating the mass of material adjacent the plate in order to cause a shaving or ribbon of material to be cut from the mass and diverted through the slit, is carried by the rotatable shaft.

Other features of the invention include a gate menrber for adjusting the length of the discharge slit to thereby vary the width of the ribbon of material being lfed therethrough. Means are also provided for agitating the material in a supply' hopper r mounted on the casing to prevent Jamming or blocking of the material therein.

With the construction described a stream of material of predetermined volume is fed through the discharge opening at an unvarying rate and representing only a small `prol portion of theI capacity of the material-moving blades on the shaft. The uniform feed through the discharge opening is accomplished by the constant pressure that ismaintained in the ldischarge `end of the casing by the resiliently yielding action of the Inaterial-inoving blades.

In the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention has lbeen selected for illustration, A Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mixing device embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical longitudinal section of the device shown in Figure l'.

Figure Sis an end view of a set of stirring blades forming part of the invention.`

Figure f1 is an end view of a stirring meinber forming part of the device yshown in Figure l.

Figure 5 is a view in end elevation of. an agit-ating and feeding member forming part of the device.

Figure 6 is a view of kan end plate provided with a discharge opening used in connection with the device. y Referring to the drawings for a more de tailed description of the invention, a feeding device is shown which includes a body or casing l0 provided with a receiving hopper 11 and mounted on feet or standards 12 adapt-ed to be attached to a suitable support. One end ofthe casing is Vprovided vwith a closure cap 13 having screw-threaded relation with the'end of the casing and provided at its' central portion with an elongated bearing sleeve lll in which an operating shaft 15 is journaled.

The shaft 15 extends into the' body of the casing `10 and is provided with a plurality of sets of material-moving blades `16 `each of which is mounted at one end onaradially extending post 17 seated in the|` shaft. l5. The blades 16 are serl at slight angular positions so as to form what is in effect a helical screw oflow pitch so that material engaged by the' blades given a progressing `or traversing action through lthe casing 1.0 from the end of thecap 13 tothe other end thereof.

In order to prevent clogging and .to maintain a constant feed of material supplied to the hopper `11 into the body orcasing 10, a set of stirring arms or fingers 18 is provided which is mounted on la.y rock shaft 19 journaled at its ends as at 20 ink bearing plates Q1 mountedon the casing 10 at the rear and forward faces of the'hopper 11. The rock shaft 194 is provided with ay pair of downwardly extending actuating arms 22 which take positions on both sides of the main opera-ting shaft l5 as is shown in Figure 5 of the drawing so that a lug Q3 carried b v the shaft l5 engages the arms 22 in alternation to thereby rock the shaft 19 and thereby move the agitating arms 1S from .side to side in the mass of material contained in the hopper 1l. This agitating action prevents the clogging of material in the hopper and causes it to feed downwardly without interruption into the casing l() where it is engaged by the material-moving blades 1G carried by the operating shaft.

'l`he feed end of the operating shaft l5 carries a corrugated annular material-rotating device 2l mounted through a set ol' spider arms 25 on a sleeve 2G carried on the end ol the shalt l5. '.l`hc I'unction ot th;` device 2lis to produce a rot ating movement of the mass of material adjacent the end plate 2T and the discharge slit. Immediately in front of the annular member 2t is mounted an end plate 2i' which is held in place against the cnd of the casing l() by a locking ring 2S having screw threaded relation with the casing at the forward end thereof. A pin 29 extending from the end of the casing l0 cooperates with a notch 30 formed in the edge of the end plate QT to prevent the plate from rotating in its seat.

The end plate 27 is provided with a discharge slit 3l extending in a vertical disposition near the lower portion of the plate. The slit is provided at its inner edge with a knife-edge flange 3:2 which serves to cut a shaving from the rotating mass of material passing thereby and to direct the shaving of material into and through the discharge slit 31. The length of the discharge slit 3l may` be varied by a slidable gate member 33 whose position may be adjusted vertically through the engagement therewith of a screw 3l having a knurled head 35 and coacting with a fixed bracket 3G mounted on the end plate. lt will he seen that rotation of the hnurled head 35 raises and lowers the slidable gate member 33 to thereby vary the extent ot opening of the discharge slit 251.

The rotation ot the. operating shaft lo produces a forward movement ol the material in the casing l() through the screw ac tion developed b v the helically positioned material-moving blades 1G. l`he material which is thus pushed forward into engagement with the forward end plate Q7 is caused to rotate by the action of the corrugated annular member 24 which rotates in close engagement with the end plate 27. The rotative movement which is given the material in contact with the plate :5T produces a discharging operation of material through the slit 3l since the inwardly extending knife-edge 3Q formed at the inner edge of the slit 3l serves to cut a shaving of material from the mass and direct it into and through the adjacent discharge slit.

lt will be seen that the material-moving action of the blades 1G will feed material toward the discharge end of the casing ll0 at a faster rate than it can be t'lischarged through the relatively minute discharge slit 3l. 'l`hc result ol this is the accumulation of material under pressure at the discharge end of the casing. ln order to limit the pressure thus produced to a predetermined maximum degree. the blades 'lt are arranged to yield when the desired pressure has'becn reached and to talie positions lying in planes perpendicular to the axis ot' rotation of thc shalt whereupon the fm'wm'ding movement ot' the material longitudinally ol' the casing is suspended. while a constant spring pressure against the mass of material is maintained. ll'hen the resisting pressure is again reduced by the discharge ol' material through the orifice 3l. the .pring action ol' the blades again moves them to helical positions in which movement ol the material is resumed. By this arrangement a o'islant pressure maintained in the material at the discharge end of the casingr with the result that an unvarying rate of feed ot material through the discharge slit takes place.

The journaling of the operating shaft l5 in the elongated hearing member lldoes away with the necessity of a bearing snpport for the forward end ol the shaft so that the end plate 27 can be readily removed at any time by the simple preliminaryv removal of the locking ring QS. This provides access to the interior of the casing l() for anT purpose. y

lllhat I claim iszl. In a device for feeding finely divided material, a casing provided with a discharge port of restricted size. a rotatable shaft within thc casing, arms rigidly secured to lsaid shaft, a helical spring blade .secured at one end to each arm for moving material toward the discharge port at a rate laster than the material can be, discharged through the port, thc free end otl .said spring blades' attained to yield when a predetermined mai;- imum pressure has been reached in thc masa ol' material adjacent the discharge port.

2. ln a device for l'ceding lincly divided material. a casing provided with a discharge opening, a rotatable shalt in the casing, a series of radially disclosed arms carried by the shaft, a helically disposed materialmoving blade secured at one end tio each of said arms to deliver material to the dia` charge port at a faster rate than it, can be discharged therethrough, and the l'ree end otE said blades being arranged to swing to an inoperative position when the resisting preasure has reached a predetcrmined maximum.

3. ln a device for 'l'ccding finely dividedl material, a casing provided with a discharge opening of restricted size. a rotatable shalt in the casing. hclically disposed materialllay moving` blades carried by the shaft, said blades being formed of spring material and supported only at their forward ends, said blades being arranged to deliver material to the discharge port at a faster rate than the material can be discharged through the port, and the free end of said spring blad-es adapted to move into alignment with the forward end thereof when the resisting pressure has reached a predetermined maximum and to exert a constant spring action against the material to maintain a uniform pressure therein.

Il. In a device for feeding finely divided material, a casing provided at one end with a closure plate having a radially extending discharge slit therein, a knife-edge flange extending inwardly from the edge of the slit in position to divert material through the slit, a rotatable shaft in the casing, helically disposed material-moving blades secured at one end to said shaft, said blades being formed of spring material and the free end thereof adapted to swing to inoperative position when the material fed to the Avicinity of the discharge opening has reached a predetermined maximum pressure.

5. In a device for feeding finely divided niaterial, a casing provided at one end with a closure plate having a radially extending discharge slit therein, a gate member for varying the length of the slit, a knife-edge flange extending inwardly from an edge of the slit in position to divert material through the slit, a rotatable shaft in the casing, helically disposed blades having one of their ends rigidly secured. to the shaft for movmaterial toward the discharge slit at a rate faster than the material can pass through the slit, and said blades being adapted to swing to inoperative position when. the pressure of the material in the casing adjacent the discharge slit has reached a predetermined marimum, said blades exerting a constant tension on the material to maintain a uniform pressure therein.

6. In a device for feeding finely divided material, a easing provided at one end with aclosure plate having a radially extending discharge slit therein, a lnife-edge flange eX- tending inwardly from the edge of the slit in position to divert material through the slit, a. rotatable shaft in the casing, helically disposed blades carried by the shaft to move the engaged material toward the closure plate, the free edge of said blades being adapted to swing` to an ine'lfective position within the material when a predetermined maxmum pressure has been reached in the material adjacent the discharge opening, and peripherally corrugated means farried by the shaft for rotating the mass of material adjacent the. closure plate to cause a ribbon of material to be cutl from the mass yby the knife-edge flange and diverted through the discharge slit. E

7. ln a device for feeding finely divided material, a casing provided at one end with a closure plate having a. radially extending discharge slit therein, a knife-edge flange extending imvardly from the edge of the slit in position to divert material through the slit, a rotatable shaft in the casing, means carried by the shaft for advancing material toward the closure plate, means carried by the shaft and spaced radially therefrom for rotating the mass of material adjacent the plate to thereby cause the knifeedge flange to cut a ribbon of material from the mass and divert it through the slit, a supply hopper on the other end of the caeing, and means separate and apart from said blades operated by the shaft for agitating material in the supply hopper.

, Vitness my hand this 26th day of September, 1924, at the city of Salina, in the county of Saline, and State of Kansas.

JOHN, WV. CORNELUS. 

